Hi °C | Lo °C A convicted drug dealer has told a jury he will “never forget” being shot at by police who were investigating a double murder.
Giving evidence at the Belfast Crown Court trial of Sergeant Stephen Mathieson, Kyle Wylie told the jury “I don't know how he missed” with any of the four shots fired at him.
Mathieson, whose address was given as c/o Grosvenor Road PSNI Station, denies four charges of attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on March 14 2007.
The jury have already heard that police were investigating the murders of two taxi drivers carried out by dissident republicans when Sergeant Mathieson discharged his gun.
Yesterday Wylie recounted how he had been driving a green Rover car with no tax, insurance or a licence when he came upon a police checkpoint on the Cliftonville Road in north Belfast.
He told prosecuting QC Terence Mooney that to avoid being caught for driving offences, he turned up Cliftonpark Avenue but then heard sirens and saw a Ford Mondeo car speeding after him so he jumped out and ran “just to get away from the police”.
Wylie said as he ran through Gracehill and Church View, he heard two shots being fired but he kept running down Ardilea and Ardilea Street to his aunt's house.
Asked by Mr Mooney if he heard any warning being shouted by the officer at any time, Wylie said he had not heard anything.
When he reached his aunt's house, Wylie described how he “banged on the door” to get in but couldn't, adding that when he “poked” his head out from the porch, he saw the officer coming through an alleyway.
Wylie showed the jury how he saw Sergeant Mathieson standing with both arms outstretched, pointing his weapon in his direction before he sprinted for an alleyway just across the courtyard from his aunt's house.
He told the lawyer he “ran as fast as I could” as the officer fired two more shots at him.
The jury have already heard that in the murder investigation, police were monitoring a Ford Focus car which was abandoned by an alleged suspect in Allworthy Avenue and that during the Police Ombudsman investigation into the shooting, Sergeant Mathieson claimed the man he shot at had pointed a handgun at him.
Asked about those matters by Mr Mooney, Wylie claimed he knew nothing of the Ford Focus car or of the murders and denied that he was carrying any weapon.
Under cross-examination from defence QC Charles Adair, Wylie conceded that he had convictions for possessing the class A drug ecstasy with intent to supply as well as driving convictions.
Mr Adair put to him that sometimes drug dealers carried weapons, whether fake or real, for their own protection.
However, he was told: “Not a chance, mate.”
The trial continues.
